Roccat Kone XTD Gaming Mouse Review

Conclusion

When the Kone was first introduced it was a huge statement of intent from Roccat, and definitely laid down a marker for the level of quality we could expect to get. To the delight of us, and certainly Roccat themselves, this level of excellent build-quality coupled to wise design choices and a wholehearted desire to ensure the peripheral is capable of being customised to the users tastes has led to a range of products that have launched Roccat into the same heady territory as Razer and SteelSeries. Companies who stand astride the gaming market like a Colossus, if Rhodes contained all the coolest gadgets.

However, because Roccat hit their first pitch for a home run, it didn't leave them anywhere particular to go. When you've crossed the line backwards, on fire, whilst juggling alligators there isn't much that can be done for an encore. The Kone + managed to upstage the original Kone by nearly doubling the sensor sensitivity from 3200dpi to a whopping 6000dpi. Since then the cream of the gaming rodent crop have all brought out sensors with even higher resolutions. So, of course, if you have a product that's near perfect but is starting to lag a little in the sensor department then you plug the latest and greatest laser into your mouse and call it a day.

That pretty much sums up the Kone XTD. It's the same size, with the same features, the same excellent lighting and the same level of comfort as the Kone +, but now the sensor is so fast that even a caffeine-addicted flea couldn't move faster than the XTD could keep up. The software that controls the Roccat Kone XTD is very easy to use, and equally easy on the eye. The amount of customisation options are incredible, and it definitely earns the 'Max Customisation' moniker.

It's a testament to the quality of the initial Kone that all these years later it's still a fantastic gaming mouse and, akin to the Porsche 911, it's only needed minor tweaks over the years to stay with the head of the pack. At the time of writing the pricing is unknown, but if it follows the trend of the Kone+ then we expect it to retail around the £65 mark. If you already own a Kone+ then we don't think the XTD provides enough extra benefits to be worthy of the upgrade. However, if you have yet to sample the delights of the flagship Roccat model, then we heartily recommend the Kone XTD and it's a worthy winner of the OC3D Gold Award.

Thanks to Roccatfor supplying the Kone XTD for review. Discuss our findings in the OC3D Forums.

Most Recent Comments

This mouse has great hardware, but the shape isn't friendly to grip on.
Gamers often lift the mouse from the surface to reposition the mouse back to center or start point on the mousepad, but this mouse isn't great grip and lift. A bit of headache when this mouse is directed towards gamers.Quote

I had the Kone+ and I had to send it back FIVE times because of either scroll wheel failure or laser failure. I gave up and went with another brand. I loved this mouse, when it worked. Does the XTD improve this? I'm not going to fork out £70 on a hunch.Quote

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